Regulating apparatus



Se t. 6 192. 1641679 p A. w. HULL REGULATING APPARATUS Filed Nov.l8, 192.5 2 Sheets-Sheet l 51.0 CMRENT Inventor:

Albert, \Al. Hull Q His Abnorneg.

REGULATiNG APPARATUS Filed. Nov.l8, 1925 2 SIiee tS-She et 2 Inventor: Albert M Hull; 8 W M His Abbotnes Patented Sept. 6, 19 27.

' UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT W. HULL, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, .A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

aaeuau'rme APPARATUS.

Application filed November 18', 1925. Serial No. 69,852.

My invention relates to apparatus for regulating the electrical conditions of a machine or circuit, and has for its principal object the provision of an improved regulating apparatus that comprises few parts and is both sensitive and reliable in its operation.

It is desirable that apparatus for regulating an electrical COIldltlOIl, such as the voltage of a circuit, be both sensitive to variation in the condition to be regulated and capable of responding to such variation without appreciable lag. In accordance with my invention, this result is produced by means of a magnetically controlled electric valve provided with a'control winding which is energized in accordance with variation in the condition to be regulated.

My invention will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying .drawing and its scope-will be pointe I out in the appended claims.

Referrin to the drawing, Figs. 1 and 3 .to 6 show. ifierent ways of utilizing the ap-' paratus to regulate the voltage of direct current circuits; Fig. 2 is an e lanatory diagram illustrating certain detailsin the operation of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 to 5; Figs. 7 and 8 show the apparatus as uti lized to regulate the voltage of alternating current circuits; Figs. 9 and 11 show arrangements wherein-the heatin current of the valve cathode is controlle in accordance .with the generator voltage; and Fig. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating certain features in the operation of the a paratus shown by Figs. 9 and 11. Fig. -1 shows-a direct current machine 1 'comdprising an armature winding 2 and a winding 3 which is adapted to be; supplied with current from a source '4- through a ma etically controlled electric valve iomsplrising a cathode 5 and an anode .6.

t 5 and anode 6 are located infan evacuated vessel, that a source 7 is provided for supplying heating current the cathode 5, and that a magnetic field c011 8 is connected to the armature winding 2 through an impedance device 9 for producing a magnetic field whereby the transmission of current between the cathode and anode is controlled. The regulating characteristics of the apparatus are indicated in Fig. 2. This figould be understo d that the cathode ure shows astraight line A that represents the field current as a function of the voltage of the ordinary shunt generator, curves B, C and D which represent the voltage of the generator as a function of the field current for difi'erent load and speed conditions and a curve E that represents the field current as afunction'of the generator volt-- load is greatly reduced by the interposition of the valve in the field circuit. These variations may be made as small as desired b, making the vertical ortion of the curve sufiiciently, steep. T is result may be ac,-.

It will'be'noted that the variation ofv complished either by making the voltage of v source 4 sufficiently high or by providing the valve with an additional magnetic field winding in series with the valve.

The operation of the apparatus will'be readily understood if it be assumed that the turns of the coil 8 and the. potential of the battery are so related as to maintain normal voltage on the enerator when it is operating at full load. If the generator voltage decreases due to change in the generator load or for other reasons, the magnetic field of the winding 8 is weakened and more current is supplied to the generator field wind ing 3, thus tending to restore the generator voltage to its normal value. Likewise if the generator voltage increases, the ma netic field of the winding 8 is stren hene less current is supplied to the fiel winding 3 and the generator voltage tends to be. re-

stored to its normal value. Any departure of the generator voltage-from its normal value thusimmediately brings into operation a force tending to restore it to its normal-value. v Y

Fig. 3 shows the magnetically controlled valve as rovided with an additional magnetic fiel winding 10 which is connected to the valve in series with the generator field winding 3 and is adapted to be short cit-- cuited by a switch 11. As previously indiinside the valve. The function of these end plates is to prevent by electric repulsion the escape of positive ions from the ends of the cylinder, thus allowing these ions to accumulate and neutralize the space-charge of the electrons. The eration is the same as in the arrangements own in Fig. 1, except that the power for energizing the field winding 3 and the magnetic field Winding 8 is derived from the armature winding 2 of the generator.

Fig. shows an apparatus wherein current is supplied from the generator armature winding 2 to the field winding 13 of an exciter lat provided with an armature winding 15 forsupplying current to the generator field winding 3. The exciter field winding 13 is connected to the generator terminals through the magneticall controlled device and the magnet field winding 10 which is adapted to be short circuited by the switch 11.

Fig. 6 shows an arrangement which differs from that of F ig.- 5 in that the exciter is provided with a difi'erential field winding 16, the series magnetic field winding 10 is omitted, and the magnetically controlled valveis shunted by a resistor 17 to facilitate starting.

Since the arrangements of Figs. 3 to 6 operate in a manner similar to that of Fig. 1, a detailed explanation of their operation will be unnecessary.

Fig. 7 shows the invention as applied to an alternating current generator comprising an armature circuit 18 and a field circuit 19 which is interconnected with the exciter 14. In this arrangement a pair of magnetically controlled valves 20 and 21 are connected to the generator terminals through a transformer 22 for rectifying alternating current and supplying the rectified current to the field winding 13 of the exciter. It will be observed that the magnetic field windings 23 and 24 of the valves 20 and 21 respectively are connected to the alternating current circuit in series with an impedance device 25.

With these connections, variation in the voltage of the alternating current circuit changes the magnetic fields of the valves 20 and 21 in a manner to decrease the current supplied from the transformer 22 through the valves to the exciter field winding when the circuit voltage increases above its normal value and toincrease this current when the circuit voltage tends to fall below its normal value. It will be apparent that the valves 20 and 2l function successively during alternate half cycles both to rectify the current supplied to the exciter field circuit and to regulate the magnitude of this cur-- rent in accordance with variation in the voltage of the alternating current circuit.

Fig. 8 shows the application of the invention to a polyphase alternating current generator comprising a three-phase armature winding 26 and a field winding 19 which is inter-connected with the exciter 14.

The exciter field Winding 13 is connected between the terminals and neutral of the polyphase winding 26 through valves 27, 28 and 29 which are provided with magnetic field control windings 30, 31 and 32 connectedbetween the terminals and neutral of the winding 26 through impedance devices 33, 34 and 35 respectively. The operation of this apparatus will be apparent from the explanation of the preceding figures.

Fig. 9 shows an arrangement wherein the exciter field winding 13 is connected to the exciter armature terminals and wherein the exciting current supplied from the armature winding 15 is regulated by a valve 36 comprising a cathode 37. Current for heating the cathode 37 is supplied from the alternating current circuit through a transformer 38. Under these conditions, if the diameter of the cathode 37 is properly chosen with respect to the voltage of the armature 15, the electron emission of the cathode 37 and hence the exciter field current is controlled by the current through the cathode, which varies in accordancewith the voltage of the alternating current generator 18.

The operation of the circuit shown in Fig. 9 will be evident from Fig. 10,.in which the exciter field current is indicated by the curve F and the generator voltage is indicated by the curve G. It should be noted that current is transmitted to the exciter field winding 13 only during time intervals when the instantaneous voltage of the generator is with in predetermined limits, and that this in terval will be shortened or lengthened de-,

The embodiments of the invention illus-' trated and described herein have'been selected for the the princip mvolved. It. will be apparf 1purpose of clearly setting forth IUD cut, however,that the invention is suscep tible of being modified to meet the difierent conditions encountered in its use and 'I therefore aim to cover by the a'pended claims all modifications within spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claimas new and desire to secure el true by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. The combination of acircuit, controlmeans 0 rable to change an electrical condition ov said circuit, and an electrical valve provided with a cathode and anode connected to said circuit in series with said control means and with a winding connected to "said circuitfor roducin' a magnetic field between said c t ode and anode which varies in accordance withsaid condition.

.2; The combination of a machine comprising field and, armature circuits, and

means for controlling the\ current transmitted to said field circuit comprisin ah electric valve provided with a-cath e and an anode connected to said armature circuit and with .a winding connected to said. armature circuit for producing a ma etic field whereby the current of said va ve is reg current to said control'nicans and with a at winding connected to said circuit for producing a magnetic field between-said c'athtrolmeans for modifying the ode and anode whereby said current is regulated in accordance with said condition, and means, connected between said cathode and anode in serieswith said control means for modifying the regdlating effect of said winding on said cu t.

4. The combination of a circuit, control means operable to change an electricalcondition c said circuit, an electron dischar device provided vwith a cathode and an e 'for transmitting current to said control meansand with a winding connected to said circuit for. regulating said current in accordance with said condition, and a second winding connected in series with said conregulating effect of said first mentioned win ng on said current. 1

'5. The'combinat-ion of a circnitycontrol meansoperable to change an electrical condition o said circuit, an electron device provided with a cathode and an e for. transmitting current to said control means andwith a winding connected to said circuit for" regulating said current in accordance with said condition, a second windin'g connected between said cathode and anode in series with said control means for modi the ating e'fiect oft-said first mention 'win 1 on said current, and

- means for rendering second mentioned winding ino' rative. I 'tness viereof, hand 17th day I of November, 1925.

I have hereunto set my .IALBEBT'VW. HULL. 

